CFIA to slaughter healthy rare heritage sheep

…CFIA’s intent to annihilate the Wholearth flock of Shropshire sheep owned by Montana Jones is deeply troubling. Without credible tests that empirically prove the existence of scrapie, to proceed with the planned extermination is both unscientific and tyrannical…”
— farmer/author JOEL SALATIN

“A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.” —Edward R. Murrow

Dec 8, 2011—Hastings, Ontario—The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has elected to destroy a healthy flock of rare heritage breed Shropshire sheep at Wholearth Farmstudio, a Northumberland County farm that conserves heritage livestock genetics. If the 44 animals are killed, the breed will be several steps closer to extinction with only 107 registered breeding females, 38 ewe lambs and 16 rams remaining in Canada. At one time the Shropshire was the preferred sheep breed in North America, with over a half a million registered animals. The Wholearth flock bloodlines trace back to their 1882 descendants by way of the first Shropshire sheep imported here from England at the turn of the century.

Heritage breed farmer/shepherd Montana Jones has spent the last 12 years preserving their rare genetics and is alarmed that despite lab results proving her entire flock tested negative for scrapie, CFIA officials have decided to ‘depopulate’ all of her beloved QQ genotyped sheep. Sheep that have a QQ genotype are considered less resistant to scrapie, however that does not necessarily mean those animals would ever acquire it.

Almost extinct

CFIA recently destroyed 50 sheep at Coyote Acres farm in Alberta, after discovering a scrapie positive sheep there two years ago. CFIA’s investigation team has no definitive answers as to the original source of the Alberta farm infection, but is now targeting the Ontario farm flock because the Alberta case was allegedly found in a sheep born in the Wholearth flock more than 5 years ago. It was one of many tissues submitted for testing and concerns have arisen surrounding possible misidentification. Scrapie is not a human health risk but can affect the productivity of affected sheep and the CFIA mandate is to eradicate the disease.

Scrapie is believed to be transmitted from an infected mother to its young via birth, especially if the lambs are genotyped QQ, although healthy animals have been known to pick up the disease from the birthing fluids and placenta of infected animals. Ms. Jones points out that two offspring from the positive Alberta sheep actually both tested negative despite one being a QQ, which contradicts the expected results. “There are more than a few unexplained questions,” she says. “If the infected Alberta sheep was indeed from my farm, there is a possibility it became infected in the five years since it left. CFIA has tested all my sheep and they’re all negative, I’ve never had scrapie signs nor symptoms, and my flock ewes are still lambing at 10 and 12 years of age when most commercial sheep are shipped out at 6 or 7. Even my foundation ram Miller possessed incredible longevity—I had to euthanize him because of arthritis, but the old boy still sired lambs that year, at 15 years of age. They’re robust and healthy.”

Genetically modifying sheep

“CFIA’s plan to slaughter every single QQ sheep is virtual genotype genocide,” said Jones. “It’s the government’s way of genetically modifying all future sheep for the commercial lamb industry—they know this flock is perfectly healthy. They’re oblivious to the fact Shropshires are Canada’s heritage livestock and almost extinct. They should be helping to protect them. Once these sheep are gone, we can never replace them.”

Even America’s best known farmer and agricultural activist Joel Salatin is upset by the possibility of their disappearance. “CFIA’s intent to annihilate the Wholearth flock of Shropshire sheep owned by Montana Jones is deeply troubling,” says Salatin, author of Folks This Ain’t Normal. “Without credible tests that empirically prove the existence of scrapie, to proceed with the planned extermination is both unscientific and tyrannical.”

“The Shropshire sheep is one of the most significant heritage breeds in Canada, with a great chance of making a comeback…if we let them become extinct its all over,” says Rare Breeds Canada Past President Dr. Tom Hutchinson of Trent University.

“Montana Jones has assembled some of the best, most ancient heritage genetics, so these are not just average sheep we’re talking about. This is an absolute genuine heritage Shropshire flock, and Canada cannot afford to lose it. To kill them based on suspicion with no proof or reason, is absolutely ludicrous. ”

The Wholearth flock includes the bloodlines from well-known sheep breeders Ed Jackson and Hugh Miller, whose great-grandfather John Miller imported the first registered Shropshires into Canada and is honoured in the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame. The Millers were among the most successful importers, breeders and sellers of pedigreed livestock in the 19th century and had a tremendous influence on the purebred livestock industry in the Western hemisphere.

CFIA has not acknowledged Ms. Jones proposal to implement a plan for a five-year surveillance and quarantine of the Shropshire flock on her farm. “It would be a win-win situation for rare breed conservation and for CFIA. These last remaining heritage genetics would be preserved, and monitoring would continue to prove that no scrapie exists here. They want to shoot my sheep first, ask questions later. These questions need to be answered now, or it’ll be too late.”

“The Wholearth flock is a potential source premise for the Alberta case, and we have the authority to destroy animals that are suspicious.” said Noel Harrington, CFIA’s senior staff veterinarian in charge of Terrestrial Animal Health. “Ms. Jones won’t be the first and won’t be the last disgruntled producer.”

“These are Canada’s sheep and they need help…they need a voice,” said Jones. “I’ve contacted Minister of Agriculture Gerry Ritz but heard nothing back. I’m asking people to call, write—whatever it takes to help stop CFIA from destroying this flock. They pose zero threat to other animals and people…to destroy an entire heritage breed is irrational and shortsighted—it’s just wrong.”

Spread Word — Share this:

At least 40 per cent of the world’s economy and 80 per cent of the needs of the poor are derived from biological resources. In addition, the richer the diversity of life, the greater the opportunity for medical discoveries, economic development, and adaptive responses to such new challenges as climate change.

— The Convention about Life on Earth, Convention on Biodiversity web site.

Diversity in agriculture is critical to the security of a nation. No nation has survived for long without a strong agricultural foundation able to provide a rich and resilient supply of food to its citizens. Each heritage breed represents the combined wisdom of generations of farmers and breeders answering the needs of multiple climates, environments and societies. In this instance, a well crafted and adaptable sheep.

Even if it means moving your flock to a farmers pastures who you trust, I would move the flock and then absolutely refuse to tell the government where the flock is. Yes it might indeed mean jail time, but the flock would be saved.

Livestock ear tags, Livestock registration —-> All a means for the government to track you down and kill your animals with no real due cause. They the government are not trained to think outside the box.

Above all else the sheep must be saved. If I lived in your province, I would offer my land to house your sheep.

No, my Canadian friends you must stuggle and overturn this or tomorrow they may decide to forceably innoculate, or push GMO’s or any other mandate. It is just the food industry, Monsanto and other Corporations trying to strong arm you. This is a pivital issue bigger than any one farmer. They are doing the same type of thing in the US and trying around the World. You must survive and overcome.

I also have a rare breed of sheep in Canada. Wiltshire Horned. I don’t want my sheep being placed at risk by people ignoring the rules for scrapie eradication. I was born and raised in New Zealand on a sheep farm with 8000 ewes and have see first hand the effects of scrapie and the eradication of it. It is hard we all love our animals but emotion can notbe allowed to rule. These sheep are not the last of their breed in the world so you must bite your lip and do the proper thing. Why are you not on a scrapie irra dication program with your other sheep? Please do not continue putting my sheep at risk
BJ

BJ, you are an idiot. Every article clearly says that her sheep were healthy. Not to mention that you don’t have to kill an entire flock to test for a friggin disease. Take a damn biopsy or two (still cheaper than erradication) do the damn test and if there’s no problem then leave the herd alone. Do you ill your ENTIRE FLOCK every time you want to test for some affliction??? I’m willing to bet the answer is no. Why aren’t you on an education program for yourself? Please quit putting my intelligence at risk and get a clue!!!

Barry where is your logic? Killing an entire flock of sheep, healthy sheep at that, is not a fact of life. I think you need to bite your lip until you are more educated on this story. Apparently you dont know all the facts. Its the idiots like yourself that are the problem. You wouldnt happen to work for the gov’t would you? Because you sound as dumb as they do. Please explain what “rule” is being ignored. The CFIA has the authority to test all animals and destroy those who who are, or are more than likely suffering from scrapies. There is absolutely NO positive results that have come from this farm, nor are any of the animals exhibiting symptoms. Are you suggesting that we kill ever QQ genotype sheep? Then what? Did you fix anything? Have you slaughtered all your “at risk sheep”? I sure as sh”t hope so with your attitude.. I dont want you putting my flock at risk… (Hows that make you feel?)

So explain to me… how is your flock at risk due to a flock that has tested negative?

I understand the protection of all flocks and health issues to avoid a scrapies outbreak. But if your herd is not infected, then they sould not be but down. As we are finding out with our food, there is reason for the out breaks. I hope your herd remains healthy, and as long as they do I support your efforts.

There is not a conclusive live animal test for scrapie. And symptoms do not present until the animal is several years old. So it is possible that the sheep are in fact infected and capable of spreading the disease even though they appear healthy.

Crystal please read my response to you above… I’ve had this flock for 12 years, with no signs nor symptoms, and ewes still lambing out at 9, 10, 11, even 13 years of age. My foundation ram was euthanized at 14 years of age because he had arthritis in his front legs…and he sired lambs that year too!
A robust flock it is.

I am asking for a five year surveillance and quarantine where I can keep breeding, increasing flock numbers, and still give CFIA all the obexes for the tissue test they wish. Seems like a win win for both CFIA and the sheep when I am not asking to sell sheep off the property until it is fully researched over the next few years.

I can’t believe this…for lack of a better term…insanity. How is it possible that a herd of rare, healthy sheep are condemned to die because they have a risk of acquiring scrapie? We could all have the odds of contracting a disease…does that mean we should be put down because of the risk? I had a vet tell me that my breed of dog has a high risk of cancer…does that mean I shouldn’t have a dog because any breed of dog could be a victim to cancer? Sigh…

We need to quit being alarmists. When it is a huge corporation we let them sell unhealthy food that cause illness and death without action, until there is a large enough number of victims that it hits the media. Then we allow them minimal mitigation. When it comes to a small business the agencies try to wipe them out without any threat to humans and no proof of any harm or risk. The world tried to wipe out small pox, but we didn’t go in and slaughter the whole village when there was an outbreak, they tested and isolated those that were infected. The thought of exterminating an entire species because they are less resistant to a disease is appauling.

Again, this is totally false. They are not eliminating an entire species (killing ALL the sheep in the world would be eliminating an entire species). They are destroying 44 ewes that may have scrapie and if so, could spread the disease. And contrary to what this article says, the loss of these 44 sheep, while perhaps making a dent in some old bloodlines, will have very little impact on the worldwide population of the Shropshire breed.

Nothing I have said is entirely false. Nobody said anything about killing all the sheep in the world. I understand from a telephone census three weeks ago to each Shropshire breeder in Canada that there are 132 registered Heritage Shropshire breeding ewes, 21 rams and 48 ewe lambs in Canada. There will likely be a handful more yet to unregistered, but not a large number. American Shropshire are not heritage nor bred true-to-type—they certainly cannot be included when counting the few heritage type Shropshires that do exist in some parts of the U.S.. So yes, killing off these genetics will indeed have a significant impact, and heritage Shropshires could very well be extinct in Canada in a short time.

While I feel bad for this producer, I do have to put a little of the responsibility on them. The US has the same policy regarding scrapie. If an infected sheep is traced to your flock, the feds will come and destroy all QQ sheep with the goal of eradicating scrapie in the US within a few more years. That’s why breeders have been focusing on breeding RR or QR sheep for the past 8-10 years. I’m sure this breeder was not unaware of the Canadian government’s policy. It would have been wise of her to be using RR rams for the past 10 years and then this wouldn’t be an issue as half her flock wouldn’t be QQ. This is exactly what the majority of sheep breeders have been doing. Myself, the last five rams I’ve used have been RR, so I know that none of the sheep I breed or will ever trace back to me as scrapie positive, nor will half half my flock have to be destroyed. So like I said, I do feel bad for this lady, but at the same time, there was a pretty easy precaution she could taken but simply using RR rams.

Crystal thanks for your comment…it is an easy answer to simply find an RR genotyped ram BUT for a few important facts.
We are speaking of a rare breed with a very small gene pool. This is why I have continued to maintain every breeding line of Shropshire that exists in Canada, when most small flocks would keep only one or two rams, I have 8 or so at any given time so I can keep crossing various bloodlines.There are traditional heritage type Shropshires in the U.K. but the high costs for importing semen and artificially inseminating the ewes are cost prohibitive for a small producer. There are only 21 registered rams in Canada right now…most are QQ. So…how can we afford to get traditional heritage British ram semen? I could get American RR Shropshire rams but they are not traditional heritage sheep…most are a blend of modern Suffolk/Oxford/Hampshire. The British Shropshire Breeders and old time breeders internationally are aghast at what passes for a Shropshire in the United States. Perhaps some of our government’s 4.5 million dollar budget to “look into” the effects of scrapie could have been used to ensure future genetic diversity in our livestock and assist in preserving old genetics and ensuring some, but not all, RR’s along the way. I hope we don’t ever consider breeding out all redheads as they are more prone to sunburn. Farmers, producers and scientists have yet to determine what ill effects will arise from a future national flock with only the RR or QR genotype. Look at what happened in the dairy industry when so many milk producers began to use the same top Holstein sire’s semen?

I am in agreement that eradication of scrapie is a good thing…but not to the exclusion of common sense, and there are worse livestock diseases..especially those that are a human health risk. Scrapie is not. Be careful to be fully informed on all the facts and not be led down a propganda path with a well designed expensive campaign extolling why wiping out QQ’s is the thing to do. A shepherds life will not be necessarily golden with an RR flock.

Montana, I’m glad your responded personally. I can appreciate your observation that American Shropshires are not the same as UK or heritage type Shropshires. This has become the case with many sheep breeds. And I can also appreciate that it is cost prohibitive to import semen from the UK, though I do know a Canadian Suffolk breeder that is routinely importing semen from the UK and Australia to improve the terminal traits of his sheep, so I know it can be done.

As I said, I am a sheep breeder myself and if something like this threatened my flock, I would certainly be devastated. Nonetheless, I still feel that this article is very skewed and does not tell the whole story. Again, thank you for responding personally. It does sound like you are trying to work out what sounds like a reasonable solution and I wish you the best of luck with it.

There are American Shropshires that are traditional, although not easy to find, they are there. It is very true that just using an RR ram is far from the solution. There seems to be some real concern (based on what people are seeing) that in a lot of cases, Qr and QQ rams are superior in type and performance. Perhaps this is one of the reasons that the American purebreds are getting so extreme, the single selection of RR rams by many with disregard to the fact that they are far from the best rams available is not a wise choice. Just selecting for RR is also a way of decreasing the genetic pool. a very unwise thing to do in a breed with low numbers.

Crystal, I hate to burst your bubble, but the statement that “Myself, the last five rams I’ve used have been RR, so I know that none of the sheep I breed or will ever trace back to me as scrapie positive, nor will half half my flock have to be destroyed. So like I said, I do feel bad for this lady, but at the same time, there was a pretty easy precaution she could taken but simply using RR rams.” is unfortunately FALSE. Apparently you’ve never heard of NOR-98 variant scrapie. I suggest you read this study: http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Factsheets/pdfs/scrapie.pdf

With a gene pool as small as Montana is working with, getting an RR ram is not as simple as you seem to think. Additionally, deciding to make one criteria trump all others in the breeding program of a minor breed is stupid. Yes, maybe work toward that goal if you think you really need to, but it can’t be made more important than overall productivity. With the flock history and longevity that Montana describes, and the negative live tests that have been obtained, I’d be more suspicious that there was A) a false positive in the lab, or B) accidental switching of samples being tested, or even C) misidentification of the dead stock, either by accident or on purpose on the other farm or at the lab. We, outside the situation, have no way to know for sure, but slaughter of the QQs ‘to be safe’ is appallingly over-the-top. The quarantine situation she describes sounds like the responsible thing to do.

One more thing, I have a hard time believing that the Shropshire breed will be in danger of extinction if these 44 ewes are destroyed. The Shropshire is a relatively popular breed here in the US and also in Great Britain.

I’m sorry, but this article simply does not tell the full story, that the government is trying to eradicate a deadly disease that cannot be treated and cannot be tested for in live animals. This disease does have a financial impact on the sheep industry by killing breeding sheep and limiting export options. Any breeder should know that what is happening to this breeder is a possibility if they CHOOSE to use QR or RR rams. The fact that not all of her flock is being destroyed tells me that she does have some QR and RR genetics in her flock that she could have been choosing from instead.

The destruction of any population within a breed of small numbers is not a good thing. Regardless of the situation, any diversity in genetics is a good thing. I happen to know exactly how hard it is to find a traditional Shropshire ram in North America. Just to select an RR ram, just because of genotype is very wrong, and can be more detrimental than having a flock of QQ sheep.

I think this farmer is being very reasonable and smart in her thinking to want to set up a 5 year plan to make sure her heard is clear. If she is able to do so why not let her? If in 5 years her herd is still healthy then look at all the wonderful genetics that can be passed to the future… If there are mistakes in the Alberta case and it sounds like there is missing and/or incorrect identification & information then this cull is just like murder!! Why must all the QQ’s be culled for just a “hunch”? It’s the government stepping on toes again telling us what we can and cannot grow, breed, eat, etc…….

Montana do you have any miller lines that are not on the kill list, and a note to Crystal 99% of the Shrops in the US are crossed at one time or anouther. I have raised Shrops in the late sixties till the mid seventies before the fad to cross sheep and reg. as purebreds started. The sheep I had then and the sheep ( pure Shrops ) I just bought this year all look the same. They look like Montanas and they look like the Shrops in the UK. The breed Registries and the University people are the ones to blame for trying to make all sheep, cattle and pigs all look the same as phenotype goes. I have spent the last 40 years watching all the changes in the three species. At least in cattle we made changes that were in the right direction as to breed type in the different breeds.

I am a purebred sheep breeder who is supplying RR ramstock to a lot of Canadian farms in answer to the growing demand for it. Creating good RR sires is not a simple task. First the other desired qualities of the sire must be good, then RR at Codon 171 can be considered.

In a flock, you cannot make quality gains in more than a couple of traits at a time. In a small population, first selecting for the R gene means that a breeder cannot focus on those traits which will mean more productive, higher quality animals.

Suppose the only RR Shropshires in Canada are small, have mothers who have difficulty lambing or have deformed feet. Would you want to select them just because they carry the RR gene? I’m not saying it is so, but in a small pool, you are less likely to see the very best animals if you can’t look at a major part of the genetic pool.

There is a major theoretical issue as well. We do not yet know if the R gene itself is linked to some other problem in sheep. Perhaps R is linked to lowered longevity, productivity, or a susceptibility to some other disease. We just don’t have that information yet. If we wipe out all Codon 171 Q breeding stock, and then find out we have caused another problem, there is no going back.

Selecting and breeding RR animals is not the simple solution to eradicating scrapie that some propose.

Very correct. In the U.K. where the selection of RRs was almost mandated, there is now a number of breeders in some breeds wishing that they had those QQ genetics, as they are noticing issues that they didn’t have before. I know within traditional shropshires (and Horned Dorsets) in Canada and the USA in many cases the QRs and QQs end up at the top of a lamb crop based on growth rate. Perhaps a founder effect of poor selection of RR genetics in the past or is there something we don’t know or understand yet.

I raised shropshires in the 60’s and early 70’s in the US. I got out of that breed because it was becoming so crossbred it was rediculus. I heard that in one smaller show a breeder won champion suffolk and champion shropshire with the same animal – and got caught because she didn’t have 2 to take to the supreme champion class…She’s right to say she can’t use US genetics to keep her gene pool active. The genotype of these older type shropshire represent hundreds of years breeding and is indeed rare and yes such a small breeding group can lose essential genetics to the point of extinction when faced with such a severe ‘culling’. I understand that the government needs to have the authority to exterminate animals in certain cases but that doesn’t mean that is the only technique that should be used in all cases. The quarantine system Montana has suggested to use would seem to be far more useful to protect Canada’s livestock as it would include all the animals in her flock, any one of which possibly be a source for scrapie. Targeting the mother of the positive test animal and female offspring of that mother can also seem to have medical logic that holds water. But targeting all QQ animals seems more like a response designed for a press release than actual protection of Canada’s livestock. If the government vets think they can eradicate of scrapie by annihilating all QQ sheep their logic seems to be incomplete….

This is the same draconian, industrial thinking, that caused the Water Buffalos to be exterminated back in the ’90’s on Vancouver Island. The trouble with the heads that are running agriculture today, is they think they are the “Creator”!! They believe everything is science, and that Nature has no role in this world. I think we are truly over the abyss. Are these sheep sick now? So what is the problem. What about some of these CFIA guys? Perhaps their families have a predisposing factor within their families to cancer, cardiac conditions, auto-immune sensitivity…..should we eliminate them now, so they don’t create the expense to the human health care system???
Really!!

Hi. I understand what you are going though, because we have been though it when they destroyed aour herd, all they left us was our horses and dogs. If you would like to talk to us about it your more than welcome to contact us. The worst thing is the CFIA is not knowledgeable, reliable, trustworthy, honest or eay to deal with. If I were you I would lawyer up FAST. It may not help alot but when we threatened it got us somewhere.

If another lambing season comes and no infected offspring show up then a point is proven about the issue of this flock being infected. In that they are not. Which is exactly what the CFIA suspects.The continuing of Quarentine and monitoring of the flock would add to the knowledge base about the issue of how the infected animal got that way. There are non destructive ways of scientificly sampling the flock for scrapie approved by the USDA. All of this the CFIA can’t let happen as it challenges their entrenched position.
Montana Jones does have the right to insst that each killed animal be tested for confirmation of the presence of the disease. This at the destucters exspence. I think she also has the right to independent testing also at CFIA exspence. Representatives of the CFIA should be made aware of this by legal council before they enter her farm.
Destruction of the flock without any further action that could advance the knowledge base about scrapie does not make any sense. Except as an example of authority without reason.
Returning to the issue of lambing, if the farm was the source of infection, then the infectiious agent, prions, would still be active in the soil.Ewes would be infected and showing signs of it and they would not be lambing as they are. As scrapie interfers with a ewes fertility. Thus each season proves no infection.

Jeeeze Louise. This makes me sick to death. I don’t even know what to say really. Even in a Court of Law everybody is presumed innocent first. So shall the sheep in all this but NO! straight to Death Row.

Its really quite sickening. These guys. The Government is running Amuk these days. No Accoutability. NONE!

Were not allowed to behave like this and nor shall they. The Sheep are waking up so to speak to what the Tyranical Government Henchmen are doing.

I am touched by your story. I hope you will find the strength to carry on – know there are people out there that hear you and support you. I am sure you will find a way to get back on your feet again, never lose hope.

I just saw your film on facebook and watched with tears in my eyes . I am amazed at what government gets away with. I love what you are doing and wish I could help you but I had Cancer and had to quit work at 71 yrs. now have to live on very little but you will be in my prayers. I really think God wouldn’t approve of this sheep killing for no reason . God Bless you and I hope they don’t get away with this . Hugs!!!!

Hi, Montana. Just dropped in to see if there was an update. Hope you are holding up ok. I think what you are doing is so valuable and under-appreciated here in Canada, where the money people and big corporations seem to rule. But there are lots of us, all over the world, who support people like you. Don’t give up. I have not forgotten about you and I’m quite sure I’m not alone in that. All the best to you. ~ Linne

Her ENTIRE herd tests NEGATIVE~ What more than speculation is the Government going on. This WILL NOT BE THE END of anything IF they destroy her entire herd to kill off the Breed, it will only be the BEGINNING of the destruction of MANY BREEDS. Trust me it will and it will then be the Cattle, the Swine, the Poultry and the Horse industry for ALL Impressive Bred horse’s that “might”(going on speculation again) have the HYPP even though ALL their offspring might have TESTED NEGATIVE, then on to the next and the next and the next………..
What’s sad is so many don’t care UNTIL they come to visit their Farm and start DESTROYING their Herds.
There will be NO END~ IF WE DON’T STOP IT NOW!!!